from www.iesb.net - Adult film star Veronica Rayne is making her mainstream feature film debut in the comedy, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, based on the controversial best-selling book by Tucker Max.
A tireless and charismatic novelty seeker, Tucker (Matt Czuchry) tricks his buddy Dan (Geoff Stults) into lying to his fiancee, so they can go to a legendary strip club to celebrate Dan’s last days of bachelorhood in proper style. Tucker drags their misanthropic friend Drew (Jesse Bradford) along for the ride, and before they know it Tucker’s pursuit of a hilarious carnal interest lands Dan in serious trouble with the law and his future wife. The ensuing blowout leaves Tucker uninvited to the wedding and ankle deep in a mess of his own creation. If he wants back into the wedding and the lives of his best friends, he’ll have to find a way to balance the demands of friendship with his own narcissism and selfishness.
The beautiful porn star, who waited to get into the adult industry until the age of 27, is a college educated businesswoman with her sights set, not just on the mainstream acting industry, but also on opening her own cupcake shop and possibly getting into criminal investigation, down the line. In this exclusive interview, she told IESB what led her to the adult industry and why she wanted to get involved with the mainstream film, I Hope You Serve Beer in Hell.
IESB: What made you decide to get into the adult industry?
Veronica: I just wanted to start a new path in my life. I had no desire, prior to that, to be on camera. I wasn’t an overly sexual person. It was just something where I thought, “This is fun.” I had run bars and nightclubs. I went to college and got my degree. I’ve been a dancer. I just wanted to do this and, ever since then, I’ve just loved it.
IESB: When did you realize that it could be an actual career?
Veronica: I’ve always entered any business professionally. You can look at something as fun, or you can look at it as professional, or you can combine the two. I just learned that, if you combine the two, this is a great career. You’re an independent contractor, you set your own rates and you set your own hours. And, if you know anything about saving money or investing, this is the ideal place for you to be.
IESB: Do you ever watch any of your own films, or do you not want to do that?
Veronica: The gonzo videos I do, I do not watch. I do watch my feature films because there’s acting in them, and it’s more about the acting than the sex. The directors know your body, they know how they want you to look on film and they know how you want to look, so if there’s something not quite right, they’ll tell you to stretch your side or put your hand somewhere else. I don’t really ever worry about that.
If anything, I try not to watch my films because I’m extremely critical of myself. I’ve watched a couple of things and gone, “Oh, my God, that’s horrible!,” while my husband was sitting next to me going, “You’re crazy! You look amazing! What are you talking about?” I think it would make me more critical and less comfortable, so I don’t really watch my films.
IESB: Since you waited to get into the adult industry and were presumably more secure with who you were, as a person, do you think it’s helped you know what you want out of the business?
Veronica: I absolutely do. It’s not offense to any teen. Good for them. But, I just don’t think girls should start in this industry at 18. I don’t think girls should start in this industry until they’re at least 21. I know that there’s a whole teen line, but you can be 21 and look 12. I hate numbers, in this industry. I’m 32 and I’ll walk on sets for a MILF scenes and they’ll be like, “We can’t shoot you now for this. The talent looks older than you.”
It’s a numbers game. I honestly don’t think anyone under 21 should be in this industry. It’s too fast and there’s way too much money. It’s nothing against the agents or the directors. I love everybody. I’ve gotten to know everyone in the industry extremely well, after being in it for over five years. But, there’s just not enough protection for young girls. I’m not saying anything would ever happen to these girls, physically. It’s not like when you go to college and you’ve got your dorm mom or house mom. You don’t have that here. I didn’t know who the hell I was at 18. If I was given the money that I am making now, when I was 18, I don’t even know where it would be. I’d probably be living in a one-room apartment for $700 a month and have 50 Gucci bags.
IESB: How much of who you are on film is just a persona, and how much is who you really are?
Veronica: I honestly do try to keep my scenes very real. I’m very picky about what websites I do. I can’t say, in the beginning, that I was paying attention, but I’m very picky now. I always ask what the title of the scene is, and if I’m not comfortable with the title, I won’t do it. I basically get my pick now, of who I want to work with. I chose what directors I want to work for. I would say 90% is who I really am. I’m actually a little bit dirtier at home than on film. But, I don’t do scenes that are fake. I don’t believe in them.
IESB: Having been in the industry for a few years now, are there things that you’ve learned about yourself from being in this business that surprised you?
Veronica: This industry has made me a lot more comfortable with my body. A lot of women tend to think something is weird or unusual about their body. And, when you get into the industry and you hear 20 other girls say, “Oh, I have that,” or “Oh, that’s happened to me,” instantly it isn’t a big deal anymore, and you’re not embarrassed about it.
Unfortunately, as women, we’re taught to be feminine and pretty in bed, and if a sound or something comes out, you should be humiliated. In all actuality, if a sound comes out, it’s usually a compliment to the guy ‘cause he’s big enough to stretch you out, and it’s more hormonal, which you’re a woman and you’re supposed to have hormones. It’s actually helped me be a little more fun in bed, and less inhibited.
IESB: What’s the key to maintaining a successful marriage, while working in the adult industry? Do you just see it as work and keep your relationship separate?
Veronica: Jack [Vegas] and I are very, very lucky. We’ve been together 10 years, and we were together for six years before we entered the industry. No, we did not have threesomes. No, we did not have sex with other people. No, Jack wasn’t comfortable with it, in the beginning. But, it’s a professional thing. It’s just work. We don’t take it home. We get naked and full around at crazy parties sometimes, but we don’t fool around on each other. I’m not saying all of us are like that, but as far as Jack and I go, communication is the key.
If I’m not comfortable with him working with somebody, and I tell him why, it’s not questioned. He instantly doesn’t work with that person. And, vice versa. If he does not want me working with someone, I do not work with them. And, it’s not personal towards the performer. It’s about a wife asking a husband, or a husband asking a wife. As long as it stays like that, it’s really good. Plus, I’m very lucky. Jack loves me a lot. He could be with twenty 18-year-olds, and he’ll come to me because he needs his wife. Or, I could work with 50 hot guys and I’d be like, “It was fun, but I need my husband’s touch.”
I think it’s about communication, honesty and respect, and having each other’s back. There are three things that break up a couple: sex, money and family. When you’re in the industry together, there isn’t a money issue because you’re both making great money. There’s no monogamy issues because you don’t cheat on each other, since you’re having sex at work. And, there’s no family issues because you are family. You need each other. You have a common little secret that each family has to deal with. So, the three things that are normally involved in a normal relationship don’t exist.
I’ve known so many married men that were like, “I love my wife, but I’m not happy in bed.” If you don’t have sex in a relationship, it does not work. And, you need other things, but for the first 50 years of marriage, you need that. Sex is important, but it’s not what matters. It’s the little things that matter, like the back rubs, the hugs, the kisses, the great conversations, the flirting eyes. Those are the things that matter. Sex is physical. You could have sex with anybody, if you were attracted to them. I think that’s why, in porn relationships, it’s not an issue.
IESB: Did someone talk to you and educate you about sex, and make you comfortable with it, growing up?
Veronica: I hate to sound so old fashioned, but Jack was the one who really brought me out of my shell. I was raised by a Sicilian Catholic mother. We had a shrine. We had St. Anthony in the middle of the hallway. It was really fun, explaining that one to my Irish and Jewish friends growing up. Nudity wasn’t a big deal because my father had passed away at a young age, so it was me and my mom and my sister. There were 90% girls in my family, so we were always naked.
But, as far as sex, that was never talked about. I literally got the 1966 book, You and Your Body, when I was 13. That’s how I was taught, and I remember peering through it going, “Is this a joke?” I was laughing. Sex was never talked about. In my household, I had never thought about it, because my mother was single, raising me and my sister.
To be honest, beauty was never talked about. I was never told, “You’re so beautiful.” I was told, “Study and use your head.” I asked my mom about it, and she was like, “You knew you were pretty. Why would I need to tell you that?” I was raised in a very, very conservative household. I was never touched as a child. I wasn’t from a broken home. I wasn’t raised poor. I went to a private academy, I was raised with a lot of money and I was very loved.
IESB: So, how did your mother react when you told her you were getting into the adult industry?
Veronica: My mom doesn’t agree with what I do, but she’s my mom. She loves me and she’s supportive. If anything, I’ve helped my mom be a little more liberal. I make my mom blush. Jack loves making my mom blush. It’s his favorite thing to do.
IESB: Have you ever had instances of people recognizing you that just really surprised you?
Veronica: I have. I was in Manchester, New Hampshire and a guy came up to me. I was sitting with my mother and he was like, “Are you . . .?,” and I was like, “Stop. Your children are there. My mother is here. Thank you very much. We’re not discussing this.”
At the premiere of my first big-screen movie, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, I had three guys come up to me and be like, “Oh, my God! We heard you were in the movie.” They were the cutest things I had ever seen in my life. They were like, ” You don’t understand. I can’t breathe right now.” I was like, “Oh, my God, really?” I don’t view myself like that, so when I get stopped in the airport or the mall, it still really surprises me.
IESB: What’s it like to make the big-budget adult films, like Pirates II? Do you prefer that to regular adult films?
Veronica: I do. I’d be a complete liar, if I said no. It’s amazing. The green screens, the mainstream stunt coordinators, the make-up artists, the costumes and the set locations we used for Pirates II were amazing. That pirate ship was a real pirate ship. That was not digitally enhanced. That was a pirate ship that they built by hand, and that was in a studio. It was insane! I don’t mind the long days. Stick me on set for 50 hours. I don’t care.
That one was really fast. I was only on set for 13 hours. For Operation Desert Stormy, it was 22 hours on one day and then 16 hours on the next day, back to back. But, it’s just so much fun and so amazing to see. Some of the scenes in Pirates II were better than the real movie. We were really honored because one of the actors in my group scene actually worked on Pirates with Johnny Depp. We were very lucky, in that way.
I enjoyed watching the movie more than the sex, and that’s what I think the feature films should be. They should have acting in a real movie with sex inserted. I think a lot of adult film actors, if we were given a shot, could blow regular actors out of the water. We’re not as babied as they are, we can take more on set, we have a lot less time to prep than real actors do and we get paid a lot less, and we still love doing it. I can’t see an actress in mainstream working for 15 hours for $1,000. That would never happen.
IESB: Is the mainstream something you’re actively pursuing now?
Veronica: When I was younger, I always had a flare for acting and drama. I never took any acting classes or anything, but I always liked doing it. I’ve done a couple mainstream things and I really enjoyed it, but I’m going to do it the same way I did it when I entered the adult industry. I was a nobody when I entered the adult industry, but I was very picky about what I did, who I worked with and how I was cast.
Even though my agent things I’m insane, I won’t do open casting calls. If they request me, I’ll go. I’m not going to be an extra. Don’t cast me as a stripper. Don’t put me in the movie to show my boobs. Let me read for a part. If I suck and don’t get it, then I won’t be in the movie. But, give me a shot and let me read for it. I have certain rules.
It might take me a long time, but when you look at someone like Jessica Lange and realize that she just won her first Emmy, it’s like, “Are you kidding me? She’s been a respected actress her whole life, and her first Emmy comes at 60, for Grey Gardens?” In the adult industry, I don’t have five years. I’m 32. I won’t have until I’m 37. I don’t mind putting the time in and being an older actress in Hollywood. Forty is the new 20.
IESB: How did you get involved with I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell?
Veronica: Tucker Max actually called my previous agent and requested me. At first, I almost didn’t take it because I would be playing a stripper. I was like, “No, I’m not doing it!,” but they were really pushing. They really wanted me. So, I was like, “Okay, fine.” Then, I got to set and found out that Keri Lynn Pratt was one of the main actresses in the movie — she plays the fiancee — and, I went to high school with Keri Lynn. So, it was really fun. And then, Tucker Max had been at one of our rival academies, playing basketball. The movie was incredible.
IESB: What’s the film about?
Veronica: Everybody thinks it’s very controversial, but it’s not. In 2001, Tucker Max started a blog called www.TuckerMax.com, and it was the chronicles of his life. Basically, it became such a phenomenon that someone called him up and said, “This can’t all be true.” He said, “Well, it is. Why are you calling me? Who are you?” He was a lawyer and he said, “Well, we need to confirm these facts.” He said, “Go ahead and confirm whatever you want,” and it was confirmed, and then it became a New York Times best-seller.
The book is hysterical. And then, he was approached to make a movie. Tucker is one of the most dedicated people I’ve ever seen in my life. He was there, every single day, and he was very strict. The movie is based on just one chronicle of the book. This is the story right before his friend’s wedding, and it was awesome because the guy was actually on set. Everybody that was really in the book was on set, so we got to actually see the real people. It was just an amazing experience.
IESB: How was Bob Gosse, as a director?
Veronica: Bob Gosse is one of the most amazing directors I’ve ever worked for. He’s professional, he’s fun and he’s sweet. People were going to set when they didn’t even have to be there. It was like 120 degrees and people were like, “No, we’ll stay.” People wanted to be there. And, he wasn’t afraid to give an adult actress a chance. He just made it fun. We got done filming early, by one day. That’s how quick and professional everything was. It was an amazing experience, from the P.A. to the head director. There wasn’t one thing I would even remotely change, complain about or criticize. Everybody was amazing.
IESB: Then what’s all the controversy about?
Veronica: It’s a funny movie. People are like, “Tucker Max hates women!” No he doesn’t. He loves women. He has a sister who he adores. If you actually listen to what he’s saying, he’s not degrading women. He’s being very honest. It’s what every guy thinks, but they’re afraid to say.
People also have to understand that this is based on him, eight years ago. He’s changed a lot. He was a kid. Kids stay stupid things. Any girl out there who watches this movie, that has a best friend who’s a guy, knows that this is the truth. This is how guys think. This is what’s going through a guy’s head when they see a girl, or when they don’t like a girl, or when they’ve been hurt by a girl. I respect the movie and like the movie because it’s honest.
IESB: What do you enjoy most about what you do, and what are the biggest challenges of it?
Veronica: Honestly, the thing I love the most about my career and working in this industry is the absolute freedom and the casualness of it. What we do is hard, mentally and physically. But, where else can you go and get paid to have sex with a great looking guy or girl, who you’re probably friends with, and get your hair and make-up down by amazing artists, and work for four hours a day to make what people make in a week?
The most challenging aspect of it is just the negative persona that porn stars get. As open as it is now, there’s still a lot of haters out there. But, if you come off as intelligent and non-defensive, then they’re the ones that will look stupid, and not you.
IESB: Have you had to adjust to the affect of the economy and Internet piracy on the adult industry ?
Veronica: It’s affected all of us. We’re a $4 billion industry. We make more money than all four sports teams put together. As far as Internet piracy goes, work with them. Call these people. Say, “Okay, listen. You’re giving my stuff away for free, but I have a website. Can you at least link my website?” Work with them. Budget wise, I think the economy did affect us greatly, for a large period of time. It’s still affecting some of the companies, but not all. As with any job, if you’re just smart with your money, you can survive it.
IESB: Where would you like to see your career go, and what would you like to do next?
Veronica: I’m starting a site, that’s a non-sex site, that I’m not going to be on, but that I’m linking my name to. I think that will do very, very well. And, I actually want to open a cupcake shop. I love cupcakes. It’s one of those things where, when you say the word “cupcake” to anybody and they just smile. It gets an instant smile from everyone, from a 300-pound guy to a little kid. That’s ultimately what I want to end up doing.
I’ve always been in the restaurant industry and I know how it all works now. I want to do it very differently, and I think that I could do it very well. So, I’m looking at that, and I’m probably going to start going to school. I’m really into CSI. I would love to become a criminal investigator. I’m at a point in my life now where I can do anything I want. People are like, “Oh, my God, I’m already 30!” So what? Do you want to go see a 30-year-old doctor, or do you want to go see a 50-year-old doctor? I’d rather see the 50-year-old doctor.
You can see more of Veronica Rayne at www.VeronicaRayneXXX.com and follow her on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/veronicaraynexx.
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